The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor Monday Okpebholo of mismanaging public funds after he approved ₦2.5 billion for a new Paediatric Centre at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
Governor Okpebholo had announced the pledge on Tuesday when he hosted the hospital’s new Chief Medical Director, Professor Idia Ize-Iyamu, at the Government House in Benin City. During the courtesy visit, Ize-Iyamu appealed for government assistance to kickstart the project, a request the governor quickly granted.
But the opposition PDP has condemned the move, arguing that the governor’s generosity to a federal health institution ignores the urgent needs of state-owned hospitals that remain underfunded and under-equipped.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Nehikhare, the PDP described the donation as “reckless” and politically motivated, insisting that the governor was more concerned about positioning himself for 2027 than addressing the healthcare challenges facing Edo residents.
The party recalled that state-employed doctors, who only recently suspended a strike, still have unresolved issues with the government. It also cited several struggling facilities such as the Stella Obasanjo Hospital—rebuilt with state funds but still underutilised—the Edo Specialist Hospital, which it said requires expansion, and the Abudu General Hospital, which it dismissed as inadequate for community needs.
“The governor was elected to strengthen Edo’s healthcare system, not to play philanthropist with state funds at a federal hospital,” the statement read. The PDP further demanded that Okpebholo rescind the approval and redirect the money into improving existing state hospitals.
At press time, the Edo State Government had not released an official response, though a senior official hinted that a statement would be issued on Thursday.